Jim Harbaugh Signs 5-Year, $25 Million Deal With San Francisco 49ers

Jim Harbaugh has accepted the 49ers' five-year, $25 million offer.

Harbaugh was offered more money by the Miami Dolphins, but inevitably chose to remain in the Bay Area by making the transition to the pros with the San Francisco 49ers.

He leaves behind a Stanford Cardinal team, led by quarterback Andrew Luck, that he built from the ground up. The Cardinal met with Harbaugh and were unsuccessful in their efforts.

So what does this mean for the 49ers? Harbaugh was an ex-NFL quarterback. For nearly a decade, the 49ers have presented a lack luster offense, led by a below average quarterback.

Jim Harbaugh brings immediate improvement to both areas.

He was instrumental in grooming Andrew Luck, who would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick if he would have entered the draft. Harbaugh is an elite quarterback coach and evaluator.

Forty-niner fans can take refuge in the fact that they finally have an offensive minded coach who can offer relevant input when it comes to the quarterback position.

It also gives credibility to Jed York. York has had a series of blunders this season, making promises and guarantees that were not fulfilled. The 49ers made it clear that they were pursuing Jim Harbaugh. He then said that money would not be any object in the hiring process.

Finally, York made good on his promises.

There are questions about how Harbaugh will transition into the pros. The 49ers have had a revolving door at the head coaching position, so naturally, hiring a guy with professional experience would be a seemingly safer selection.

That being said, Harbaugh is an NFL guy. He's played in the NFL, he has an NFL family, and there is no reason to believe that he will make an unsuccessful transition. He is a proven leader and he knows football inside and out.

This seems to be the first step in bringing the 49ers back into relevancy.